“Ideal Diet”: Paleolithic Diet Is Shown In Studies To Improve Metabolic Health In A Very Short Period Of Time

THE RESULTS KEEP COMING BACK POSITIVE FOR EATING “NON-PROCESSED” FOODS…OUR BODIES HAVE BEEN HARDWIRED TO THRIVE ON FOODS FOUND AS CLOSE TO AS NATURAL A STATE AS POSSIBLE…MEAT THAT WAS HUNTED WAS BY DEFINITION “LEAN” AS THE ANIMAL ITSELF WAS IN SURVIVAL MODE AND NOT GORGING ITSELF AT A FEED TROUGH….

a Paleolithic diet would include lots of lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

When compared with the baseline diet, the Paleolithic diet was associated with significant reductions in blood pressure, plasma insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides.

A study in a recent issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that following a paleolithic diet (more on that in a minute) for even a short period of time can improve metabolic health.

For the study, researchers from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine enrolled nine non-obese, healthy volunteers to consume their usual diet for 3 days, followed by a diet with increasing potassium and fiber for 7 days, followed by a Paleolithic diet.

So what exactly is this Paleolithic diet? Essentially, it’s taking food back to its roots and eating in a fashion similar to early man. For example, Grok (as we like to call him) followed a diet dictated by whatever he could hunt or gather. As such, a Paleolithic diet would include lots of lean meat, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Grok, however, did not have access to dairy products, cereal grains, legumes or any type of processed foods (what with this being prehistoric times and all!) so those types of foods are completely off-limits with this type of diet.

When compared with the baseline diet, the Paleolithic diet was associated with significant reductions in blood pressure, plasma insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides.

Based on these findings, the researchers conclude that following a Paleolithic diet, even for a short-term, can improve blood pressure and glucose tolerance, decrease insulin secretion, increase insulin sensitivity and improve lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy humans.

The real kicker here? These improvements were seen in sedentary individuals, meaning that the people involved in this study saw these grand improvements in metabolic health without so much as stepping on a treadmill or lifting a dumb bell.

Given the dramatic improvements across such a short period, it looks like the Paleolithic method of eating might be the way forward for people looking to improve their metabolic and overall health.